Stepladder



Aug. 7, 1945. G. M. FENNER ,33

' STEP LADDER Filed May 25; 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTO A T TORNEY G. M. FENN ER STEP LADDER Aug; 7, 1945;

- Filed May 25, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m m m m 7 127: fi/IW ATTORNEY L It isals'o propose the ladder generally defined. i Another object accompanying drawings,- and tional view taken on the Patented Aug, 7, 1945 Gladys Marguerite Fenner, l llevelaniflhio I Application May'2 5, 1944, Serial No; 537.207

invention l'relates to new and useful" im- 'p'rovements in a stepladder, and particularly relates to a 'step ladder intendedt'o be used in the home.. v

v lnlthefgeneraltype of step ladder now used in" 5 f thehomethere a shelf in the back of the ladder 1 which assumes va horizontal position when the.

ladderis' opened for' use. It is intended that pails,

hammers, and. other im lements andjobje'cts he invention proposes to'improve thefhousehold ,stepladder by increasing the size, "of the top leasttwoinches longer at'each side. It is'prb- .posed to "provide this top stepwith guardrails so that paila'bru'shes, articles and tools may be flsafely rested on the stepjwithout anydanger 'of ,theirifalling off.

It is lso proposedfto provide the new andjimproved.step ladder with hand rail-s "extending -;;al ong each offthe sides for assisting a woman in mountingthe ladder. i j

d to provide "the .ladderflwitifrubber or-rei feet for preventing. it fromslipping and generally acting as a sturdy,,support. f' i .It iscontem plated to co truct' the ladder of wooddnathe usual way The hand rails .inay'be of wood, i-ron, or other suitable o materials; I I 1 The invention also roposes a, modification of of thei yention is theconstruc- I l tion .of e an article as mentioned," which i vsimple and. durable and which may be manufacturedand ss soIdatareas nablecOst. of I r For .iurther'comprehension of the invention,

Wand of; the, objects, and advantages thereof, reference ,will be, had tothe following description and claims in'whichthevariws novel features ofthe ;.-invention .-are more particularly set forQZ dlnlthe accompanying drawings formi a terial part of this disclosure- I o strucl'cd in accordance withth-is invention- Fig. -'2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a top p'ortion of the step laddershown in Fig. 1, Fig; 3 is a fragmentaryvenlarged vertical secline 33 of Fig. 2. side elevational view of a step ladder Fig. 4 is a with a modified form constructed in accordance of this invention.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view F18. 4. c

taken on the line -5 rested von this shelf when one mounts "the "step" ladd'en' "However, this construction is faulty in that quite; often articles fall off theshelf.

, step, preferably making'it'twice as wide and 26"15 to the appended eO lisaperspective view of a step ladder 06115 7 with I 1 other side ,rail 3 l1) 'of the laddelff;

includes a pair of side rails'l0 and"ste "I I" is relatively larger than th 'pthe the hack of said" top step H f. l- Iarid -rails l Iout any danger of thesearticles falling a i Fig, dis a fragmentary elevationjal view'looking in the directionof the line Iii-:BbfFigi, Fig. '7 is a fragmentary enlargedsectionalview ofaportion ofFig nl. The improved step" ladder jinaccor nee {l the formfo'f the invention disclosed in Figs mounted" between said side rails *1 Th form an enlarged top for the ladder; Efref'rably,

the top step IllYisftwice as wideand'atjthe' sides extend at least twoinches past the s'i'desofthe side rails l0. Channel members l2fare mouiited on and beneath 'the saidt'cpstep H. and connect with the side rails I10 for r porting Said tops p-f a Support legs [14 are pivotaily connect the topf step "l'llfby' 'pintlej'rivets'f i5 F miadtea through the; back ppItlOn bffthB: channel members' 1 2; The support legs '1 4; are associated with means for holding theinextehde-dibr' retract-ed.

. This means comprises the u'sual'foldable-side arms l6i Felt or rubberpads' H aremounted upon the bottom ends of the side rails llljand thesupportlegs I4. 1

j Guard rails l8 are mounted along the side mountedi pon the fron't sides'of said side-rails '1 El, andextend above rails l8. "'5 I f Thegadvantage' "f" the new {and'improved step ladder resides in the fact that" brushes} pails and 1 varioustools and-articles may be placed upon the top step' I l and'onemay mount the ladder with- The guard rails l8" prevent them from doingfso hand rails IQ'are very convenientfor while mounting the ladder. In Figs 4-7 'a modified forin'pf theinvention has been disclosed which distinguishes'frorn the prior. form inseve'ral respects. In this form; of the invention ja'tra'y-like memberzll is mounted upon the top ste [1 or the ladderi 'rhis traylike member 28 'is conne cted' by 'hin'ges ZQfatits the hand rail I9 and pivotally connects with an arm 31 projecting from the front of the tray 28. In other respects this form of the invention is identical to the previous form and like parts are identified by like reference numerals.

This modified form of ladder is used in the same way as the first form of the invention. However, it has the additional advantage that when desired the hand rail I9 may be manually pressed inwards so thatthe heads 30 slightly flex the leaf springs 32 to disengage the serrations 33 from the serrations 34. Then the hand rail l9 may be shifted upwards or downwards so that the" ing within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention; what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A step ladder, comprising a pairof side rails,

and steps mounted between said side rails, and the top step being relatively larger to form the top of the ladder, support legs pivotally connected with said top step, means for holding said support legs in extended positions, and a tray-like membermounted on said top step, said tray-like member being hingedly connected at its back on said top step, and means for holding said traylike member in various hinged positions, includ ing a link connected with said tray-like member;

a hand rail adjustably mounted on one of ,the

side rails of said ladder and connected with said link. s

2. A step ladder,comprising a pair of spaced recess 3!. A link 36 is pivotally connected with rail, comprising an arm extending from the free front edge porton of said traymember t a point above said hand rail, and alink interposed between the outer end of said arm and the top of said hand rail.

4. A step ladder, comprising a pair of spaced side rails, steps mounted between said side rails and the top step being relatively larger to form the top of the ladder, support legs pivotally connected with. said top step, a tray-like member hingedly connected at its back on said top step, a. handrail vertically adjustably mounted on one of said side rails, and means connecting the free front edge of said tray-like member to said hand rail for holding said tray-like member in various rearwardly inclined positions in the various vertical adjusted positions of said hand rail on said side rail, comprising linkage interposed between said tray-like member and said hand rail.

5. A step ladder, comprising a pair of spaced side rails, steps mounted between said side rails and the top step being relatively larger to form the top of the ladder, support legs pivotally connected with said top step, a tray-like member hingedly connected at its back on said top step, a hand rail vertically adjustably mounted on one of said side rails, and means connecting the free front edge of said tray-like member to said hand rail for holding said tray-likemember in various rearwardly inclined positions in the various vertical'adjusted positions of said hand rail on said side rail, said hand rail being U-shaped and having the ends of its arms extended into recesses formed in said side rail, said vertically adjustable mounting of said side rail comprising slides within said recesses and fixedly mounted on the inner ends of the arms of .said hand rail, complementary serrations formed between the adjacent faces of said slides and side rail for holding said hand rail against'vertioal adjustment when engaged, and resilient means urging said slides into positions to engage said serrations. I

6. A" step ladder, comprising a pair of spaced side rails, steps mounted between said side rails side rails, steps mounted between said side rails and the top step being relatively larger to form the top of the ladder, support legs pivotally connected with said top step, a tray-like member hingedly connected at its back on said top step, a hand rail vertically adjustably mounted on one of said side rails, and means connecting, the free front edge of said tray-like member to said hand rail for holding said tray-like member in various rearwardly inclined positions in the various Vel tical'adjusted positions of saidv hand rail on said side rail.

3. A step ladder, comprising a pair of spaced side rails, steps mounted between said side rails and the top step being relatively larger to form the top of the ladder, support legs pivotally con nected with said top step, a trayelike member hingedly connected at its back on said topl'step, a hand rail verticallyadjustably mounted on'one of said side rails, and means connecting the free front edge of said tray-like member to said hand rail for holding said tray-like member in various rearwardly. inclined positions in the various vertical adjusted positions of said hand rail on said and the top step being relatively larger'to form the top of the ladder, support legs pivotally connected with said top step, a tray-like member hingedly connected at its back on said top step, a hand rail vertically adjustably mou'ntedon one of said side rails, and means connecting the free front edge of said tray-like member to said hand rail for holding said tray-like member in various rearwardly inclined positions in the various vertical adjusted positions of said hand rail on said side rail, said hand rail being U-shaped and having the ends of its arms extended into recesses formed in said side rail, said vertically adjustable mounting of said side rail comprising slides within said recesses and fixedly mounted on the inner ends of the arms of said'hand rail, complementary serrations formed-between the adjacent faces of said slides and side rail for holdingsaid hand rail against vertical adjustment when engaged, and resilient means urging said slides into positions to engage said serrations, comprising leaf spring-s extending across said recess and bearing against a side of said slides opposed to the sides having said serrations. I l

GLADYS MARGUERITE FENNER. 

